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Dubai's ruler overturns conviction of Briton who 'touched man in bar'

Dubai’s ruler has intervened to quash a prison sentence of a Briton accused of touching another man in a bar.

Jamie Harron was sentenced to three months in jail for what he says was an accidental contact with another customer at the Rock Bottom bar in Dubai.

The 27-year-old lost his job as he was held in the country for more than five months awaiting trial.

After the case received widespread media coverage, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum quashed the judgement and dismissed the charges against Harron, which also included making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol, according to pressure group Detained in Dubai.

“This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of Sheikh Mohammed, and while it highlights the urgent need for judicial reform in the country, it is also a hopeful sign that the UAE’s leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future,” Radha Stirling, the group’s CEO, said.